Gian-Franco Kasper

Gian-Franco Kasper (born 24 January 1944 in St. Moritz) is a Swiss ski official who has been president of the International Ski Federation (FIS) since 1998. Kasper also served as a member of the International Olympic Committee (2000–2018) and serves as member of the World Anti-Doping Agency (since 2003).

He earned his degrees in journalism, philosophy, and psychology from the University of Zurich in 1966. After his university studies, he worked as an editor for the Courier de St-Moritz.

Kasper then went into the tourism industry in 1974, establishing a Swiss tourism office in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The following year, he became Secretary-General of the FIS by then-President Marc Hodler, a position in which he served until Hodler's retirement in 1998. Kasper succeeded Hodler as FIS President, a position he has held since.

Kasper received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the National Sports Academy of Bulgaria in Sofia on 14 December 2007. He was also named an honorary citizen of Cavalese, Italy in January 2009 during the 2008–09 Tour de Ski.

In February 2019, Kasper stated in an interview that he prefers dictatorships over environmentalists. He also questioned climate change and welcomed global warming. A nonprofit organization Protect Our Winters condemned the statement and demanded that Kasper resign from the presidency of FIS. Following the controversy, Kasper apologized for his comments.[1][2]

References
  1. FIS president Gian-Franco Kasper urged to quit over climate comment ESPN, 8 February 2019
  2. «In Diktaturen ist es für uns einfacher» Tages-Anzeiger, 4 February 2019 (in German)
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